He loves me not, He loves me?
by Laura-Jay
Summary: Sequal to He loves me, he loves me not. Dil's back! And it's totally messed up Phil's relationship with Angelica!
1. The unexpected guest

Lil watched the candles on the top of the cake with delight. 17 candles. 17 years old. Her brother watched her and smiled. He looked at the cake himself and closed his eyes thinking hard about what to wish for.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday Phil and Lil, Happy birthday to you!" their friends and family sang before the pair blew out the candles together.

Phil smiled at the thought of his wish.

"Time for cake!" their mum called carrying the cake back to the counter. The party took place at the Java Lava as usual. It'd become quite a tradition for all the teenagers.

Phil, Lil, Angelica, Chuckie, Kimi and Suzie all sat back down and began to laugh and joke. It was only 11 in the morning. Phil and Lil's big party would take place later that evening; a large group of kids from their school were going. This was just a small gathering for the close bunch of mates.

"Going to tell me what you wished for?" Kimi asked Lil, who was sitting beside her.

"And ruin it! No chance," Lil replied.

"What about you?" Kimi asked Phil who didn't get a chance to answer.

Betty butted into the conversation and handed a plate of cake to Phil and another to Lil. "Here you are guys, hope you like it! The rest of you come grab a piece."

The others climbed of their chairs and grabbed a piece of cake. Angelica came back and sat back down next to Phil. They'd been going out together for just under 6 months now. Chuckie came back and sat between Phil and Suzie. He and Lil had broke up once again but agreed to remain friends, although they barely spoke to each other.

"I can guess what you wished for anyway," Angelica flirted with her boyfriend. He smiled but didn't say anything. He thought if he didn't say anything she'd think Phil wished about her. But he didn't.

Phil looked around at the group of friends. Looking at them nothing had changed. They still looked the same, only differences were he and Angelica were together. That and there was someone missing.

He couldn't help but think about him, everyday that passed he did.

"That was a waste then wasn't it!" Kimi laughed after Lil whispered something in her ear.

"What did she say?" Suzie asked curiously.

"She wished Johnny Kneackson would come to the party tonight!" Kimi said, making Lil shriek with annoyance.

"You said you wouldn't say!" Lil yelled.

"It was a silly wish, it would be impossible for him to come!" Kimi said, talking about their favourite actor on 'Johan Beach'.

"Now Lil's told her wish you can tell yours," Angelica asked, dying to know what he'd wished about her.

"Erm...yeah well," Phil murmured.

"Yeah go on, has to make more sense than Lil's!" Kimi said. Phil sat forward in his chair nervously. He didn't want to tell the others what he'd wished. Especially with Angelica sitting there next to him, and thinking it was about her.

He would have to just think on his feet.

"Well, I wished…" Phil began but was interrupted by someone loudly pushing through the Java Lava door.

The boy who'd just walked in caught the whole gangs attention, and also Betty and Chaz's who'd been working at the counter. The boy stood proudly, his red hair grown down to his shoulders. His clothes were dirty and torn in places and his skin was filthy and bruised.

"Dil!" Phil said rising from his chair and taking his arm away from Angelica.

"Hey everyone!"


	2. A wish come true

Thinking about it, Phil wouldn't know how to react. Instead he just did what his instinct told him and hugged the old friend who he'd missed so much. It made Dil feel a little uncomfortable but also a stab of happiness. The others were still shocked at his sudden appearance to say much.

"Happy birthday guys!" Dil said when Phil let him go.

Phil stared at his shorter friend, unbelieving that he was here, he was back. He looked at Dil from head to toe. He was a mess, a smelly, filthy, yet pleasant mess.

"Sorry I didn't get you guys a present, didn't have the money," Dil joked. Everyone was still stunned. They had no idea whether to laugh, comfort or let him settle down on his own.

"Are you back then?" Phil asked eagerly.

Dil's face screwed up and he bounced his head from side to side and murmured something about not being sure. But Phil still stood in front of him, dazed to see him right now. Today of all days. Dil must have planned it.

"Dil! You're here! Well sit right down and I'll get you a drink!" Betty said noticing the object all the kids' eyes were on. Phil pulled a sit from the table behind and placed it next to him.

"How…how you been?" Kimi asked unsure how their younger friend would react.

"Okay, yeah, I'm used to it now," Dil said coolly, "thanks for the drink," Dil said as he took the large soda cup.

"You got enough money?" Chuckie asked and Dil nodded.

"The people in the city are a lot more… charitable than I'd expected," Dil replied, meaning he was begging, "Plus I get more when I do the monkey dance! Remember the monkey dance! The ohh ohh ahh ahh!" Dil said swinging his arms around imitating a monkey.

His old friends didn't laugh; the majority watched him in awe, others just thought it would have been rude to laugh.

"Anyways," Dil said, wanted someone else to talk beside himself and his silly ramblings, "What was going on before I showed up, I see you've blown out the cake."

"Oh yes, want a piece?" Lil said quickly staggering to her feet and grabbing a piece that was already laid on a plate.

"Thanks," Dil said taking the plate from her.

"Phil was just telling us what he wished for," Angelica said, trying to get herself involved. She had worked herself up to being the centre of attention before Dil arrived; she wanted to be it again.

"Erm…err," Phil muttered, he looked between Angelica and Dil, the two people he sat between and suddenly remembered his wish.

Getting his memory back after the shock made him gasp again and stare back at Dil.

"What is it?" Lil asked.

"My wish," Phil whispered. 'I wished that I'd see Dil again some day' he thought to himself.

"And what was it?" Angelica beamed. Phil dare not tell her the truth; he knew too well what she was like, especially with Dil.

"Just, that you'd always be here for me," Phil lied and gave her a convincing smile. She believed it too.

The atmosphere among the group became uncomfortable again.

"You guys having a party tonight?" Dil asked, directing his question at Phil and Lil.

"Yeah, at our house, you coming?" Phil said quickly.

"Erm…if that's okay," Dil said.

"Of course, you might want to smarten up a bit first," Lil said awkwardly, when she realized how it must have sounded. But Dil seemed okay with it.

"Yeah, Phil you can lend us some clothes," Dil replied, he was more telling Phil than asking him.

"What about your own clothes?" Angelica questioned, not wanting Phil to spend time with Dil on his birthday.

"I was kind of not wanting to go home," Dil said uneasily.

"Why not?" Suzie asked curiously.

"Your parents?" Phil asked, being the only one to know the whole truth, and Dil nodded.

"Betty," Dil called across to the counter, "Please don't tell my parents I was here today, please."

"What? Why not? They don't know?" Betty asked while still dealing with a customer.

"I just don't want them to know," Dil said, "Have they, have they been worried about me?"

"Of course!" Betty replied instantly but she knew she didn't mean it.

"I know your lying Betty," Dil said, "My parents never really cared," Dil said looking back at the group. The gang all watched Dil closely, except Phil who was glaring at the floor.

"If you don't want us to tell, we won't," Suzie said on behalf of everyone, making Dil smile.

"Cool, thanks guys," Dil said, "So, what time's the party?"

A/N – Hey, Thanks for reading. I've been getting really annoyed with the title, 'Changing thoughts'. It sounds a little odd, and I also wanted it to sound like it carried on from the last. I hoe the new title doesn't confuse you with the old story.


	3. The old Dil again

Phil stood behind Dil in his room; Dil was shuffling through his old pal's wardrobe looking for something to wear. Phil felt rather uneasy being alone with Dil, but felt it was necessary to talk to him.

"What are you wearing?" Dil asked with his head still amongst the shirts.

"Just, this shirt and these," Phil said pointing at the clothes that hung on the back of the door.

"So I can choose any off these," Dil said. He was still a mess, wearing his dirty clothes and the grease in his hair. Betty offered him a shower that he said he'd like, as soon as he picked out some clothes.

"What do you think I should wear?" Dil asked, "It is your party."

"Whatever, I'm not sure it really matters," Phil replied. Hearing Phil unconcern for the importance of his outfit Dil picked up the first shirt he came across and asked to borrow it.

"And these jeans, they okay?" Dil asked and Phil nodded. Dil headed for the door, feeling stupid for trying too hard but as he went to open the door Phil stopped it from opening.

"Are you okay?" Phil asked. Dil immediately said he was but Phil knew he was too cheery. "Last time I saw you you were crying in the middle of a random alleyway, what's changed?"

"You haven't," Dil said staring at Phil. Phil felt his face burning, he was blushing but wouldn't admit it.

"Seriously, I felt so bad leaving you, I've thought about it every day since, wondering what you were doing, how you were coping…if you were alive," Phil said.

"I wanted to see you again, I couldn't just pick a random day, I wouldn't know what you were doing. I knew the routine for birthday, I knew where and when to find you and there you were."

"And that's why you're happy?" Phil asked.

"Because I'm seeing you again," Dil told him. They stood together looking at one another. "I should really take a shower," Dil said to break the silence, and Phil let him out.

The confused birthday boy sat on his soft bed, his mind on his friend in his bathroom. Not once did his mind go back to his girlfriend, who he had persuaded to leave him alone with Dil by telling her they had things to sort out. Phil thought it was destiny; there were days that he and Angelica spent apart but Dil was still on his mind and Angelica didn't get a look in.

"What can I do?" Phil whispered to himself, knowing he was the only one who could answer the million-dollar question.

10 minutes Phil had sat on the bed, pondering over his question. The bedroom door opened and his question was answered, he thought. Seeing Dil made him smile, a smile he hadn't felt for over 6 months now.

"Wow! Just look at my hair! It's so long and I hadn't even noticed. Man, I can't believe how clean I feel!" Dil said as he came back into the room dressed in Phil's old clothes. Phil just laughed and smiled. "Hope you don't mind me using this comb, found it in the bathroom."

"I think it's Lil's, she won't mind," Phil told him.

"I think I need a hair cut," Dil said looking at the long mess of red hair in the mirror.

"I don't think I can cut hair," Phil said nervously.

"It don't need to be perfect!" Dil said picking up a pair of scissors he found on Phil's desk. He pulled a strand of hair away from his head and cut some off. "It never was."

"You're so stupid sometimes," Phil said laughing. He got up off the bed and helped Dil cut the hair on the back of his head. It looked similar to how it used to be after they'd finished.

"You look like the regular old Dil again," Phil said admiring the change.

"You still look as you used to," Dil said. The boys stared at each other, not to sure what to do or say next.

"Phil! Lil! You're friends are here! Better start getting ready for this party!" Phil's mother yelled up the stairs and the boys stare vanished with nether of them being the one to end it.

A/N: If anyone's wondering where Tommy is, (thanks for mentioning HPfreakswillrule), the story is explained in my older story, 'To betray a friend'. Usually my Rugrats fictions run along in the same long story. And if you can't be bothered to read it then I'll just say he went a little mad and is at some kind of Military school.

While I'm here, thanks for all the nice reviews. :)


	4. The party's started!

Lil passed Phil's door and lead the two boys down the stairs. In the doorway stood Angelica, Chuckie, Kimi and Suzie, all ready to help their friends set up for the party. All admired Dil's new haircut as soon as they saw him.

"Phil did it mostly," Dil said.

"Okay you kids, me and your dad will be off now," Betty said holding her bag.

"You're not staying to help?" Lil said alarmed.

"It's easy enough, you two are big kids now," Howard said, making both the twins cringe.

"We'll be back by midnight, so the party better be calming down by then alright," Betty said then left without telling them where they were going.

"Okay! Looks like we've got more work to do!" Suzie said in her usual motivating way.

"Work? There's never any work? We just get food n' stuff," Angelica said.

"No, _we_ get food, _you_ sit around and watch." Kimi joked.

"Hey Chuck, can you help me set up the table?" Phil asked.

"Sure, where is it?" Chuckie said, following Phil into the backroom.

Kimi, Lil and Suzie all went into the kitchen to sort out snacks. Dil was going to follow but Angelica caught him by the shirt.

"What the hell you doing here?" Angelica whispered in his face.

"I came back to see my friends," Dil replied.

"Well they don't want you here, isn't that obvious," Angelica lied, jealously.

"Phil doesn't seem to mind," Dil said.

"Oh he does," Angelica said, "He left you remember? Alone in an alleyway, he chose me so get over it." Angelica let her younger cousin go and went into the kitchen. Dil hovered in the hallway, thinking over what Angelica said.

"Hey Dil!" Chuckie said, seeing him through the front room door "Mind helping us put this up?"

Dil went into the living room and saw the pieces of table lying on the floor. One leg was already in place, Phil was forcing the second into place and Chuckie was pushing the third one. Dil went over to the forth, lifted the leg but felt a sudden drop of energy. Trying with all his might Dil pushed the leg. Unexpectedly two hands were around his, giving the leg and extra ram into place.

Dil backed away instantly, uncomfortable with Phil touching him.

"You alright Dil?" Phil asked, noticing a change in Dil.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Dil said, even though his skin was paler than normal.

"Come on guys!" Suzie said entering the room, "We've got all these snacks and no table to put them on,"

Chuckie and Phil lifted the table and turned it over, giving the girls a place to put the food.

Angelica walked in empty handed and fell back into the sofa.

"Are you going to do anything?" Lil asked her lazy friend but Angelica said nothing.

"I'll sort out the music!" Kimi decided loudly, heading towards the Deville's stereo.

"I've already put some CDs out," Phil told her, so Kimi just decided which CD to put on.

Most of the gang danced their way between the kitchen and living room, placing food on the table and moving furniture for space to dance. Angelica remained on the sofa, still irritated by the presence of Dil. Dil felt awkward, not wanting to believe Angelica but thinking she would know best as she has been around here recently.

When all the jobs seemed finished Kimi wanted to start the party early so grabbed the arms of the first two people, who were Suzie and Phil, and pulled them towards the stereo and started dancing. Phil and Suzie followed her lead and began dancing too. Soon enough the whole gang were dancing, except Angelica who watched from afar.

Her sly eyes watched closely as Dil moved closer and closer to Phil. Slowly he had moved across the room, his grin showed he didn't care. Angelica wanted to stop it.

"Come on Phil!" Angelica said getting up and dancing with her boyfriend, pushing Dil aside. Angelica smiled as she watched Dil back away.

The doorbell rang but all were having a good time to notice. A bang at the window caught Lil's attention and immediately she let her and Phil's other friends in.

"Didn't realize so much time had past!" Lil said returning to the group. Now there were more kids Kimi twisted the volume on the stereo louder.

"How many are coming?" Dil asked Phil as more kids charged through the front door.

"About 20-25, only our friends," Phil replied. Dil smiled, knowing none of the rough kids were coming.

The party went on for another half an hour with kids turning up and joining the dancing and eating. Lil, Kimi and Suzie were talking in the kitchen with some of the other girls. Phil, Angelica, Dil and Chuckie were in the living room laughing amongst themselves when the electricity went out. One of the friends did the usually scream to break the sudden silence. In the dark it was too hard to see each other, but figure's were just about noticeable.

"I'll fix it," Phil said in the middle of the dark, quiet living room, "But I need a hand getting through the messy closet in the hall, Chuck?"

"Chuckie!" Angelica yelled as he collapsed onto her. "I think he's fainted!"

"Dil, help me quick," Phil said getting through the crowd in the living room.

"Phil's going to sort it," Dil said as he passed Lil who was in the kitchen doorway.

Phil and Dil went through the almost empty hallway moving towards the closet at the end.

"It's already open," Phil said confused, feeling the mess that had been shoved out the closet.

"Can you reach the switch?" Dil asked.

"Yeah, I think someone's turned it off purposely," Phil replied, he flicked the switched and the lights came back on. Phil turned and three unwelcome visitors stood before Phil and Dil.

"Hey… ha!" Pete began to greet Phil but looked gob smacked by the boy who was also stood in the hallway.


	5. Fight for the right to party

"Dil! Long time no see!" Rod, Pete's smaller friend, smirked seeing their old victim.

"Get out! You guys aren't invited," Phil yelled after the shock of seeing them.

"We don't need an invite, we go where we like," Tessa bragged.

"Look, it's past your bed time kids, go home," Phil said to the bully's, who were the same age as Dil.

"Ha ha, loser boy," Pete said grabbing Phil by the top of his shirt and pushing him against the wall.

"Hey, get off!" Dil said getting in the way, trying to push Pete back.

Of course, by now several kids surrounded the group in the hall.

"Phil? What's going on?" Phil heard his sister call from the back of the crowd.

Pete laughed, mocking the older teenager. Pete's thought's changed and he let Phil go, only to then grab Dil.

"Must be a nice little reuniting," Pete said slamming Dil sideways into a wall. Some of Phil's less loyal friends cheered at the violence. Tessa and Rod stepped back and let Pete do his thing.

"I thought you'd stopped bullying people," Dil said as Pete held him against the wall.

"Yeah, that was never fun, this is," Pete said, lifting Dil and slamming his back into the wall.

"Stop it!" Phil said, tugging at Pete's sleeve.

"Phil! What's going on!" Lil yelled, trying to find a way through the crowd.

"What's the matter, thought you didn't like this kid anymore? What happened to Angelica?" Pete teased.

Phil's face was going red with anger, "Let go!" Phil could see Pete was holding his shirt in such a way that Dil couldn't breath.

"Like you say!" Pete said dropping the boy on the floor. Immediately Pete and his two friends began kicking Dil. It was like what had happened to Dil years ago all over again. This wasn't what Dil wanted to come back to. But this time a crowd surrounded the situation. Everyone knew, but why did know one help? Probably fear that they would be the next victims, like Phil had been the last few weeks.

But Phil couldn't stand by and watch like the others. Without a sensible thought passing through his young mind Phil through a punch in Pete's direction. Pete fell back and collapsed on the floor beside Dil. Tessa and Rod backed away, they ran through the crowd easily and headed out the house.

The crowd stepped back and Lil, Kimi, Suzie and Angelica could finally get through.

Phil was kneeling on the floor with Dil's head in his hands; blood was trickling from his lip. Beside them Pete lay almost unconscious.

The crowd were moving away, gradually leaving and unsure what to say to Lil as they left.

"Phil, Phil get away from him," Angelica said angrily as she pulled Phil away. Phil said nothing but shoved Angelica aside and went back to Dil's aid.

"What? What's happened?" Chuckie asked as he came in from the living room with Kimi's help. No one answered it looked pretty obvious.

Pete started getting up, "This...this ain't over, you're a loony," he said as he staggered out of the house.

"Dil? Dil you alright?" Phil whispered. Dil's eyes opened and he smiled.

"Nothing I can't handle," Dil said.

"Phil, he's not your problem," Angelica said, showing her jealousy and pulling Phil away again.

"Do you need to go to hospital?" Suzie said trying to help Dil.

"No, I'm fine," Dil laughed rubbing his head.

"Angelica, not everything has to be about you," Phil argued back.

"I need to get mum back here," Lil said grabbing her phone from her pocket.

"It's not that big of a deal," Dil said standing up. He held his stomach as if it hurt. Phil went back to him to help him up.

"What on earth has gone on over here?" Betty said, even though Lil was yet to call her. Behind, Howard, Didi and Stu entered the Deville house.

"Dil! You are back, look at you, no different," Dil's disappointed mother said looking at the state Dil was in. Stu immediately went over to Dil and put his neck under his arm, opposite to the on Phil was under.

"Phil, Lil, what happened!" Betty asked loudly.

"You! You keep away from Dil," Didi pushed Phil away from her son, "You stupid boy, encouraging him to be like this."

"Mum, Dad? How? How'd you know I was…" Dil asked confused.

"Betty and Howard came to see us. We saw the flock of children leave the house so decided to see what was happening," Didi explained.

"Mum, you promised you wouldn't tell them," Lil said defending Dil.

"This isn't the discussion right now, what has happened!" Betty yelled even louder as no one was answering her.

"It was that bully from school, Pete, he turned up," Lil informed when Phil remained silent. Stu helped Dil walk over to their house while Didi followed in shame.

"I think you kids should leave now," Howard said to his children's friends and they all left for their homes.

"So are you hurt?" Betty asked Phil who sat silently on the sofa. He shook his head.

"What's the matter now?" Howard asked his son.

"We're just upset our party was ruined by those thugs," Lil replied for her twin.

"I'm going to sleep, can we talk in the morning?" Phil said leaving the room before breaking into tears.


	6. Fixing a few problems

Stu opened his front door and bent down to pick up the milk that had been delivered. Sitting on the kerb at the front of the house was a boy Stu recognised.

"Phil?" Stu called to the young man, who turned and stood up, "Can I have a quick word?"

"Yes, Mr. Pickles," Phil said walking towards his front door.

"You know you don't have to call me Mr. Pickles," Stu said with a little laugh.

"I just…wasn't sure what to say," Phil replied.

"Look, I want to know what happened last night, with this boy you say turned up?" Stu asked more seriously.

"It was this…really annoying kid, he's younger than I am, 16 I think now." Phil began to explain; "It was Pete, the boy who used to bully Dil a few years ago."

"Oh, I remember him," Stu replied.

"He's been annoying me for weeks now, but he's not really been a bully, not until what he did last night," Phil said, "Is Dil okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a few cuts and bruises," Stu sighed.

"I didn't know they would show up," Phil said honestly.

"Yes, well, I may not have seen him for ages, and it may seem we don't love him like we used to, but he's still my 15 year old son," Stu explained.

"I know, I'm sorry, it really shouldn't have happened," Phil said, "You do still love your sons, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, I know I do," Stu said instantly. "But Didi, well, I don't think she can take it. She wanted perfect sons, she just doesn't approve of gay people."

"I think he doesn't realize that you still care," Phil said, hoping to sort out the situation.

"Did you want to see him? He's still asleep," Stu said.

"I'll come back later," Phil replied, "I have a few people to see."

Phil began to walk away and heard the Pickles front door shut. He began walking around town, but knew exactly where he was going. He hadn't been to this part of town that much before. It was dirtier, darker and full of suspicious strangers. Phil counted the houses until he got to number 13, the houses in this street didn't have numbers of the door.

Phil walked up to the front door of this house, but the door was already open.

"Pete?" Phil said as he opened the door wider.

"Who… who _is _that?" said Pete, who was sat facing the opposite way on the sofa.

"It's Phil, I came to say sorry and check you were okay," Phil said moving into the kitchen. Pete just looked at him confused.

"Why do you care?" Pete asked.

"'Cause I shouldn't have hit you, even though you wouldn't stop," Phil said maturely.

"Erm, thanks," Pete said to Phil's surprise, "You know I haven't seen Tessa and Rod since you hit me." Pete tried to sit up in his chair while holding his head.

"Are you okay, is anyone here looking after you?" Phil asked the younger boy.

"I'm fine, I don't need anyone," Pete snapped.

"Well, I think I'd better be going," Phil said, relieved that Pete wasn't seriously hurt.

"Phil? Thanks," Pete said as Phil walked to the door, "I won't bother you again."

"Thanks," Phil replied then left the house closing the door behind him.

'Two problems solved in one morning,' Phil thought happily to himself. As he walked home he left the dark side of town and passed through the rich part. His eyes were fixed on a house he was set to pass in a couple of seconds. As he passed it he looked forward and walked briskly.

"Phil!" he heard Angelica call from her window, "Phil wait there!"

He did as she said and turned back to look at the house.

"Phil!" Angelica yelled as she came running out the house, no care that it was still late morning.

"Hey Angelica, how are you?" Phil asked nervously.

"Aren't you going to tell me your sorry?" Angelica asked angrily.

"What? Why would I tell you I'm sorry?" Phil asked.

"Because of what happened with Dil! Dil's _not_ your problem anymore," Angelica yelled.

"No, _you_ are my problem!" Phil yelled back.

"What! You were looking after Dil and ignored me!" Angelica said.

"Dil was hurt! And you, the world doesn't revolve around you, you know!" Phil argued.

"Well, maybe we can talk about this later," Angelica said quietly.

"No, look, I don't think this is working," Phil began, "Maybe we should, you know, just be friends again."

"What! No, I mean," Angelica said almost crying.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, please, oh please don't," Phil said, trying to fix another problem.

"You're just selfish," Angelica yelled in defence, "And you can't dump me! I'm higher in the food chain!"

"I'm sorry, we were good as friends, remember?" Phil said.

"It'll never be like that again. You're stupid, a stupid gay boy!" Angelica yelled. She pushed Phil back then ran to her house.

'Maybe I've fixed another problem, or just made it worse' Phil thought watching her run away.


	7. The long walk

It was reaching midday; Phil was back outside the front of his house. He stood, and watched the windows intensely. He wasn't sure what would be going on inside. They wouldn't need to clean anything up; Phil was up early to clear the mess from the party. He wondered what his parents must have been thinking of him. He didn't mean to fight; it wasn't his fault it started. Now he'd split with Angelica, it was something he felt he should have done weeks ago but now things were changing.

'Changing for the better' he thought peacefully to himself although right now it didn't seem that way.

He felt guilty; he felt he'd led Angelica on but not intentionally. He thought he loved her, but it was a mistake. A mask hiding what he truly felt.

Phil's head dropped to stare at the damp grass under his feet. All morning he'd been trying to sort his life out. But do things change that easily?

As he looked at his feet on the pavement by the road he thought about the last thing on his 'to do' list that morning. It was something that he wasn't quite sure about though. He wanted to make himself move, to walk up to the house next door but he couldn't make himself.

The sudden slamming of a door woke Phil out of his daze and made his head turn towards the noise. It was Dil.

Dil saw Phil instantly, and then picked up a large bag of the floor, put it over his shoulder and ran of in the opposite direction.

Phil took a quick glimpse at the Pickles' house and wondered if his parents knew Dil had ran off again, which stopped Phil from calling out to Dil. Instead he ran quickly behind him.

Phil caught up with Dil as they reached the town centre. Dil had given up trying to run from him and Phil started to walk beside him.

"Hey, why were you running?" Phil said out of breath.

"I just need to get away again," Dil said emotionless.

"But why? You only just got back," Phil asked.

"I only came here to see you on your birthday, I didn't want to see my parents, I didn't want any fights," Dil replied.

"That wasn't my fault," Phil said.

"You still hit him," Dil said looking at Phil in the eye for the first time in the conversation. Phil looked back at him confused.

"Why do you care if he got hurt?" Phil asked.

"It's not him I care about," Dil said more peaceful and Phil smiled at him, "But whenever I'm around you get into fights."

"I never start them though, I'm just sticking up for myself," Phil began, "And I wanted them to stop kicking you, and you can't say you wanted that to carry on."

Dil just looked at Phil as they walked.

"No, but that's the point, you wouldn't have to hit him if I wasn't there," Dil said.

"Maybe, maybe not, who knows what they were doing there," Phil replied. Dil didn't have anything left to say, so the boys fell silent as they walked. Phil had noticed Dil was walking slower then when he first caught up with him, and that he also had no idea where Dil was going.

"So where are you going?" Phil finally asked.

"Train station," Dil said, "I'm getting a train and deciding where to get of later."

"Oh," Phil said a little disappointed in not knowing, "Have you got a ticket yet? I mean, do you know what time your train is?"

"No, I haven't got a ticket." Dil said. "I'll get it there."

Phil nodded and the friends continued to walk in silence. A spot of rain dropped onto Phil's head; right away he touched the spot to check it.

"It's raining," Phil said just as the droplets got more frequent.

"Damn, Umbrella, I was meant to pick one up," Dil said pulling his hood over his head.

"I ain't even got a hood!" Phil said, and after Dil's small smile they fell silent once again.

"I went to see Pete today," Phil said trying to restart a conversation. Dil's head turned immediately.

"Why? What did he have to say?" Dil asked eagerly.

"He was as sorry as I was," Phil told him, "He said he wouldn't bother me again, especially since I'm the only one how went to check on him. I mean his friends didn't even bother."

"Oh," Dil said, let down that Phil didn't know why Pete had turned up on that day.

"After that…" Phil began to talk but wasn't sure if he could talk about it.

"What happened after that?" Dil asked, speaking louder so he could be heard through the rain.

"I went to see Angelica," Phil said.

"Oh," Dil said again, looking away from him.

"I broke up with her this morning," Phil said quickly, as if it could've been one long word.

"What? Really?" Dil said almost satisfied, "I mean, why?"

"She's… just… really manipulative," Phil explained to the only person who he could've turned to.

"It's cause I'm here, isn't it?" Dil said, "She had a problem with me here,"

"No, no it's nothing like that," Phil, said defensively.

"Yes it is," Dil smiled, "She told me herself before the party, she wanted me to go."

"What? That bitch," Phil said realizing he was right about her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to screw everything up. I should've stayed away," Dil said, hanging his head and allowing the rain to bounce of the top of his hood.

"No, no, that's not what I wanted," Phil said back quickly. "You've made me realize about her, made me realize a lot of things, plus you're still my best friend, I just wish I wasn't such a fool."

Dil looked at his friend, they stood still outside the station, which they'd just reached. He wasn't sure what Phil was saying but didn't want to risk anything.

"Okay," the only neutral word Dil could think of. Dil looked in the station and saw the closest ticket booth, "Well, I need a ticket."

Phil watched his friend walk into the station and queue up for a ticket. Dil confused him, but he wasn't going to give up everything now. Curiously Phil walked into the station behind Dil.


	8. A train journey too many?

Dil felt Phil's presence behind him at the ticket booth. He expected he was there to just be with him before he went. As Dil took his ticket and walked away Phil didn't follow. Dil looked around and Phil was buying a ticket of his own.

"Where are you going?" Dil asked curiously, especially since he hadn't told Phil which train he was getting.

"I don't know either," Phil almost smiled. "I just bought a cheap ticket". Dil looked at him enquiringly, wondering what he was thinking.

"When's your train leave?" Phil asked.

"A few minutes," Dil replied, leading Phil through the ticket machine that checked they had paid to use the trains.

They walked together through the empty walkway to the train lines. Dil studied his train ticket while Phil had put it in his pocket.

"Are you really going somewhere? I mean, why did you get a ticket?" Dil asked.

"Erm…" Phil muttered, not really knowing himself, "I think I wanted to be here when you go, check you get the right train." Dil suddenly felt Phil was towering over him. He wasn't that much taller than him, but he was older, by a year and a half, and probably wiser too. The way he had the air of mystery was unusual, Phil was acting confident yet confused at the same time. Which made Dil quite nervous.

"You know I can take care of myself," Dil told him, "I have done for a while now."

"Oh, yeah of course," Phil said, feeling guilty again about leaving Dil to look after himself. Dil thought putting Phil in his place would make him feel better, but now Dil felt guilty for telling off Phil.

The friends walked silently again, reaching the end of the walkway they could see the rain still falling.

"My train comes in two minutes," Dil informed a shaken Phil.

"You really going again?" Phil asked cowardly.

"I have to, I can't stay with my parents," Dil replied. The boys walked out into the open, and then stood together under a thin rain shelter that couldn't keep them both dry at the same time.

"Why not? Your parents still love you," Phil said as he ran his hand through his wet hair, sorting it so the drips didn't drop directly under his eye.

Dil sighed and looked down at his feet. "Mum hates me."

"That doesn't mean she wants you to go away. I mean, she doesn't completely hate you." Phil said, but Dil looked back at his strangely. "I was speaking to your Dad this morning."

Dil understood better, he wondered how Phil could know so much.

"Dad's great, but Mum…well…she just ignores me most of the time now, doesn't want to know me," Dil told Phil.

"But she was still worried when you weren't there, believe me I remember the interrogation she gave me when I came back from the streets," Phil replied with a small laugh.

Dil couldn't laugh in return though; he was still bemused by what Phil was saying about his mum.

"And look, a few years time you can move out legally, with your own home," Phil said, still trying to convince Dil to stay.

"With no education? Great job I'll be able to get now," Dil said with self-pity. But that didn't matter to Phil, Dil almost sounded like he was thinking about staying.

"Dil, you come up with the weirdest but interesting ideas, you'll invent something great with that mind of yours and be rich!" Phil said.

"So you agree I'll have no education?" Dil asked.

"No, well, you can go back to school now, the school can understand your situation," Phil said practically desperate.

Dil didn't say anything, as if he was considering the possibility of staying. Gradually a noise got closer from the distance; Dil looked up and saw his train entering the station. Phil turned and watched the carriages slow down, ready to take his friend away from him, again. These were his last few seconds to convince him to stay, and so he did the only thing he had left.

Phil leant forward, took Dil's sorrowful face and kissed it. The shock quickly passed and Dil kissed back. When they opened their eyes again the train was gone.

Dil gulped, partly confused, partly excited, and unsure what to say to him.

"Can't you stay for me?" Phil asked. Dil looked around the station, looking at anything but Phil's questioning eyes.

"I think I'll have to," Dil said, avoiding the point that he wanted to stay now, "my trains gone."

The End.


End file.
